1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general art of motor vehicle accessories, and to the particular field of mirrors for motor vehicles.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
It is well known that safe driving of a motor vehicle requires that an operator have an adequate view of objects in the rear of the vehicle, beside the vehicle, and in front of the vehicle. Safe driving techniques generally view all of these areas several times per minute. Therefore, the motor vehicle art contains several examples of rear and side view mirrors that can be used to view the side and rear of a motor vehicle.
While very helpful, these rear and side view mirrors do not help a driver view the full field in front of the vehicle. The driver often encounters situations in which his or her view of the front of the vehicle is partially blocked. This situation occurs when following a large vehicle, such as a truck, or the like. If the driver wishes to pass such a vehicle, the driver is often forced to swerve out of the driving lane into the lane of oncoming traffic to check the road in front of the vehicle being passed. This is an undesirable situation, but is often necessary since more and more large vehicles, such as SUVs and the like, are occupying the roads.
The art does contain several examples of side mirrors that are designed to provide a driver with a view of the area in front of the vehicle. However, while effective, these devices have several shortcomings. For example, these devices are not as adjustable as possible. As a result, a short driver may not be able to take full advantage of the mirror as he or she may not be able to see the full view that could be provided by a mirror.
Therefore, there is a need for a forward-viewing mirror that is fully adjustable.
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a forward-viewing mirror for a motor vehicle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a fully adjustable forward-viewing mirror for a motor vehicle.
These, and other, objects are achieved by a forward-viewing mirror which comprises a mirror-mounting unit which can be attached to an element of a motor vehicle; a first mirror having a reflective surface; and a second mirror having a reflective surface oriented to face the reflective surface of the first mirror. The first mirror and the second mirror are movable with respect to each other and with respect to the mirror-mounting unit in a plurality of planes.
By being movable with respect to each other in a plurality of planes, the two mirrors of the forward-viewing mirror of the present invention permits adjustment of the mirrors over a wide range. This allows the forward-viewing mirror to be used by a wide variety of people, including very short people who may not otherwise be able to take full advantage of such a mirror unit.